A 1-0 result midweek against Everton gave Arsenal their sixth straight Premier League victory. They will look to make it seven when they face an Aston Villa side that are coming off an impressive victory of their own. The string of results, along with Tottenham and Chelsea being in poor form, has seen Arsenal climb up to third in the league table. It has been a different story for Villa, as they have only one win in their last six.
Team News
Arsenal: There are no new injuries to report. It was reported last week that Per Mertesacker’s season was over. Some good news for the Gunners is that Jack Wilshere seems to be edging closer to returning but Arsene Wenger has said he will not rush the midfielder.
Aston Villa: They will be without their captain as Richard Dunne is set to head to the United States in an attempt to quicken his recovery from a shoulder injury he suffered. Ciaran Clark will also miss the match, as Alex McLeish will hope to have the defender back next week. If you recall, the young defender was responsible for both of Villa’s goals in last year’s 4-2 home defeat to Arsenal.
Tactics
In the last six matches Arsenal have averaged more than three goals a match and look for them to continue their attacking ways, as Aston Villa will be without two key defenders. Arsenal should not have any issues creating chances; the question will be if they can continue to capitalize on those chances. The player to watch here is, no surprise, Robin Van Persie. This can be a great opportunity for the Dutchman to add to his tally and help Arsenal keep the pressure on Spurs.
Without two key defenders and their star striker Darren Bent, Villa will be more than happy with a draw. It will be interesting to see whether their back four can handle Arsenal’s attack. It will also be important for Agbonlahor to do a good job of holding the ball and leading any counter attacks that will provide Villa’s best chance of scoring.
Possible Line-ups
Arsenal: Szczesny, Gibbs, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Sagna, Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Van Persie
Aston Villa: Given, Cuellar, Collins, Warnock, Hutton, Herd, Petrov, Albrighton, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Ireland
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